Musical toy



Dec. 28, 1965 0, w, u z 3,225,640

MUSICAL TOY Filed NOV. 1, 1963 United States Patent 3,225,640 MUSICAL TOY Oskar W. Kuuz, 20 Brown Place, Bergenfield, NJ. Filed Nov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,720 2 Claims. (Cl. 84-95) This invention relates to a musical toy and is more particularly concerned with a toy which embodies a Swiss music box construction wherein the music-making mechanism can be automatically actuated.

Numerous toys are known which embody a Swiss music box construction. All of these known toys, however, are provided with manual means, requiring specific actuation by the child using the toy, to wind the music-making mechanism. Such winding means ordinarily take the form of a key or a pull cord, or the like. To play with such toys successfully, therefore, the child must have a certain degree of manual dexterity and such toys are thus limited to certain age groups. There is an important need for a musical toy which can be repeatedly actuated, so that it will repeatedly emit musical sounds, but which does not require the turning of a key, or other relatively skilled manual movement, to actuate it.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide such a toy.

This and other objects are realized, in accordance with the invention, by the provision of a toy which embodies a Swiss music box construction in combination with a pivotable weighted arm which is moved in one direction during the normal handling of the toy by the child and which is constructed for automatic movement in the other direction to actuate the music producing mechanism. More specifically, the music-making elements are of the conventional cylinder and comb type and the pivotable arm is connected to rotate the cylinder during return movement of the arm under gravity and spring bias. The same spring which biases the weighted arm to rotate the cylinder also restrains the movement of the weighted arm in its first direction of movement so that a controlled, smooth-working movement of the arm is achieved at all times. In its basic terms, therefore, the invention can be defined as comprising a support, a cylinder with pins rotatably mounted in the support for unidirectional rotation, a comb having musical strips of different lengths positioned to be selectively engaged by the pins on the cylinder as the cylinder rotates, a weighted arm pivotably mounted, e.g. on an axis parallel with the axis of the cylinder, for movement through an arc of at least 90 degrees from a rest position to a driving position by inversion of the support so that said movement takes place under the influence of gravity, spring means biasing the weighted arm in the direction of the rest position, the spring means being mounted to be tensioned upon movement of the weighted arm from the rest position to the driving position upon inversion of the support, and a unidirectional driving connection between the weighted arm and the cylinder for unidirectional rotation of the cylinder during movement of the weighted arm from the driving position to the rest position under the action of gravity and of the tensioned spring, upon return of the support to its original position.

It is a feature of the invention that the power for driving the music-producing elements of the toy is produced solely as a result of the movement of the weighted arm to its driving position with the concurrent tensioning of the spring means which is biased against such movement, and that there is no need for a winding key, pull string, or other manually-actuatable winding means.

It is a further feature of the invention that the movement of the Weighted arm into its driving position, i.e. winding of the music box, will occur merely by inverting the toy, which will happen in the normal use of the toy by a child of any age, or which the child can readily learn to do at an age far younger than that necessary to learn to wind a key or manually actuate a specific winding element.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy, diagrammatically illustrated merely as a casing, embodying the self-winding music box of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, on a larger scale than used in FIG. 1 of the mechanism of the invention with the casing shown in FIG. 1 removed;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2, as seen along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 2-4, the musical toy unit of the invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, and comprises a support or housing 12 which, in the embodiment illustrated, is mounted upon a base 14, as by screws (not shown) and includes an end wall 16 and side Walls 18 and 20. Secured to the end wall 16, as by screws 22, is a bracket 30 which carries a shaft 32 upon which is rotatably supported a cylinder 34 provided with pins 36. A slit plate 37 is secured to the bracket 30 by screws 38, the slits 39 forming comb tines 40 of gradually varying length, which determine the musical tone produced, and the tip ends of the tines 40 extend into the path of the pins 36 which are disposed in radially-extending manner on the circumferential surface of the cylinder. The disposition of the pins on the cylinder determines the musical tone to be produced as a result of the striking of the tines by the pins. At one end, the cylinder is connected to a pinion wheel 42, and a second pinion wheel 44, also rotatable with the cylinder, is in mesh with a governor mechanism consisting of the double pinion 46, 47 which drives the teeth on shaft 48 carrying the pinion 50 which meshes with the worm 52 on the shaft 54 carrying the governor blades 56. The governor assembly is supported in a bracket 58 secured to a cross-bar 60 between the side walls 18 and 20. The above-described music-producing mechanism comprising the cylinder and comb, and the governor assembly, are of well-known construction and, by themselves, form no part of the present invention. Indeed, the governor assembly may be omitted, if desired.

The invention is concerned with the combination of the music-producing mechanism with a driving system which includes the previously-mentioned weighted arm which makes it possible to actuate the music-producing mechanism without the need for a winding key or other manual winding means. Referring again to the drawing, rotata b'ly mounted between the side walls 18 and 20 is a shaft 62 carrying a pinion wheel 64 at one end and a ratchet wheel 66 at the other. The pinion wheel is in meshing engagement with the previously-mentioned pinion wheel 42, and rotation of the former, with concurrent rotation of the latter, causes the cylinder 34 to rotate. Rotatably mounted upon shaft 62 is an arm having two arm portions 70 and 71 and connected, as by screws (not shown), to a weight 74. Arm portion 70 has a pawl 76 pivoted to it at 78, the pawl being in engagement with the ratchet wheel 66 at all times but being effective to drive the ratchet wheel, and thus the pinion wheel 64, only in one direction of movement.

In FIG. 2, the arm and the associated weight 74 are shown in their driving position in solid lines and in their rest position in broken lines. Cooperating with the weighted arm is a spring wire 80 which is spirally wound 3 around the shaft 62, as seen in FIG. 2, and has an end 82 which is engaged with the end wall 16, as seen at 84, and an end 86 which is engaged with the weighted arms, as seen at 88. By reason of these relationships, when thedevice is inverted the weight 74 moves into the driving position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, and applies tension to the spring wire 80, which in turn restrains the weighted arm from too rapid or excessive movement. When the device is returned to its original position, the weighted arm, biased by the spring wire 80, moves downwardly, as seen in FIG. 2 into the lower rest position and, during this movement, which is slow and gradual, the cylinder 34 is caused to rotate, and a series of musical notes are emitted, the tune depending upon the arrangement of the pins on the cylinder, in accordance with conventional practice. By appropriate selection of gear ratios, e.g. as illustrated,'the cylinder can be driven through several revolutions during the passage of the weight from the solid-line position to the broken-line position shown in FIG. 2.

As previously indicated, the above-described mechanism of this invention can be embodied in any kind of toy or plaything which is adapted to be inverted in normal play use, eg a doll, a block, etc. For purposes of illustration, however, it is merely embodied in a casing 90 which fits over the base 14 and is secured to the interior mechanism, as by screw 92. The arrow 94 can be considered decoration but may also serve toshow the child the direction to turn the toy to wind or reactivate the music makin g mechanism.

There is thus provided, in accordance with the invention, a self-winding music box construction which is effectively embodied in toys of various types and which makes it possible to have a musical toy which can be actuated by a child while playing with the toy without requiring him to turn a winding key or to perform the other relatively skilled manual movements which are needed to wind the usual music box mechanisms.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the embodiment described and illustrated without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims and it is intended, therefore, that all matter contained in the foregoing description and in the drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not as li-mitative of the invention.

I claim:

1. A self-contained musical toy comprising, in com- 5 bination, a support, a cylinder with pins rotatably mounted in said support for unidirectional rotation, a comb having musical strips of different lengths positioned to be selectively engaged by the pins on the cylinder as the cylinder rotates, a weighted arm comprising a weight and an arm pivotalbly mounted in said support, for movement through an arc of at least 90 degrees from a rest position wherein the weight overlies one side of said support to a driving position wherein said weight overlies an adjacent side of said support upon inversion of said support, said arm having a length which is less than the largest dimension of said support, spring means biasing the weighted arm in the direction of the rest position and being mounted to be tensioned upon movement of the weighted arm from the rest position to the driving position upon inversion of the support, and a unidirectional driving connection between the weighted arm and the cylinder for unidirectional rotation of the cylinder during movement of the weighted arm from the driving position to the rest position under the action of gravity and under the action of gravity and of the tensioned spring upon return of the support to its original position.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein said support is wholly contained in a casing defining a plaything. 30

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1953 Switzerland. 6/ 1954 Switzerland.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

LELAND M. MARTIN, Examiner. 

1. A SELF-CONTAINED MUSICAL TOY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT, A CYLINDER WITH PINS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT FOR UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATION, A COMB HAVING MUSICAL STRIPS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS POSITIONED TO BE SELECTIVELY ENGAGED BY THE PINS ON THE CYLINDER AS THE CYLINDER ROTATES, A WEIGHTED ARM COMPRISING A WEIGHT AND AN ARM PIVOTABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH AN ARC OF AT LEAST 90 DEGREES FROM A REST POSITION WHEREIN THE WEIGHT OVERLIES ONE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT TO A DRIVING POSITION WHEREIN SAID WEIGHT OVERLIES AN ADJACENT SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT UPON INVERSION OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID ARM HAVING A LENGTH WHICH IS LESS THAN THE LARGEST DIMENSION OF SAID SUPPORT, SPRING MEANS BIASING THE WEIGHTED ARM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE REST POSITION AND BEING MOUNTED TO BE TENSIONED UPON MOVEMENT OF THE WEIGHTED ARM FROM THE REST POSITION TO THE DRIVING POSITION UPON INVERSION OF THE SUPPORT, AND A UNIDIRECTIONAL DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WEIGHTED ARM AND THE CYLINDER FOR UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER DURING MOVEMENT OF THE WEIGHTED ARM FROM THE DRIVING POSITION TO THE REST POSITION UNDER THE ACTION OF GRAVITY AND UNDER THE ACTION OF GRAVITY AND OF THE TENSIONED SPRING UPON RETURN OF THE SUPPORT TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. 